THE crisis in Rivers State chapter of
the Peoples Democratic Party took another turn on Monday with Governor
Rotimi Amaechi inadvertently insinuating a plot to effect his removal by
only five members of the state House of Assembly.
But the governor said it was practically
impossible in today’s Rivers State to be removed by five members of a
32-member legislature.
Rivers Commissioner of Information, Mrs.
Ibim Semenitari, in a statement on behalf of Amaechi in Port Harcourt,
said, “We are aware that people are imagining that it will be possible
to attempt a (ex-Plateau State Governor Joshua) Dariye treatment in
Rivers State where they will take just five members of the Rivers State
House of Assembly out of 32 members and attempt an impeachment of the
Governor of Rivers State.
“But this is Rivers State; this is not
Plateau State and Nigerians are a lot more aware now than they were at
that time. This democracy must stand and the people of Rivers State will
defend every vote that they have cast for Governor Chibuike Amaechi.
“So, there is no way it is going to
happen that a very tiny, insignificant minority in the Rivers State
House of Assembly will be able to oust Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi.
“I know that the governor is in full
control of the state. I know that there are no matters for concern in
Rivers State. I am aware that a couple of few hoodlums and
rabble-rousers are trying to cause disaffection in the state and trying
to pretend that there is chaos in Rivers State.”
The Speaker of the state House of
Assembly, Otelemaba Amachree, had last Thursday raised the alarm that
the PDP executive in the state, led by Paul Obuah, were hatching a plot
to cause confusion in the state by enlisting the five legislators to
impeach the governor under the authority of a “fake mace” to be brought
from outside the state.
The Obuah-led exco and the governor had
been at each other’s throat with the PDP last Monday suspending 27 state
legislators believed to be loyal to Amaechi from the party. It also
queried the governor over the controversy surrounding the registration
of an aircraft owned by the state government.
The court has however stopped the suspension while Amaechi has described the PDP query as “sad and laughable.”
Amachree on Monday postponed resumption
of the House. The members were expected to resume on Monday from their
recess but only the five legislators not affected by the annulled
suspension appeared in the chamber.
The Speaker, in a statement, said he had
to postpone the House sitting because of negative security report
around the state House of Assembly.
He said, “Declare a state of emergency
in Borno, Yobe and Kano, where Boko Haram and their collaborators are
killing innocent men, women and children on a daily basis.
“We state again that Rivers is peaceful
and that the symbol of democracy in the state, the Rivers House of
Assembly, is peaceful and very orderly. Let the law enforcement agencies
cooperate with us.”
Indeed, the atmosphere in the state was
charged on Monday even as placard-carrying youths in their hundreds
stormed the state House of Assembly in protest and demanded the
impeachment of both Amaechi and Amachree.
Leader of the protesting youths, Mr.
John Ogunda, said members of the House failed to follow due process in
the suspension of Obio/Akpor council chairman, Timothy Nsirim.
The now-annulled suspension earlier slammed on the 27 state lawmakers by the PDP had been anchored on their removal of Nsirim.
Ogunda explained that the people of
Obio/Akpor did not need a caretaker committee in the area, insisting
that the governor and the Speaker must reinstate Nsirim.
“We do not need a caretaker committee
chairman in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. Nsirim did nothing wrong
before he was suspended. We want him recalled,” Ogunda said.
However, a group, the Public Interest
Lawyers League, has written to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, in
line with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, to demand
records of the ownership of the controversial Bombardier jet, said to
belong to the Rivers State Government.
The President of the PIL, Mr. Abdul
Mahmud, disclosed this in a statement titled, “Between the Nigerian
Civil Aviation Authority and Governor Rotimi Amaechi,” which was made
available to journalists in Abuja on Monday.
Mahmud, in the statement, noted that
Amaechi, or the foreign operator of the private jet, did not satisfy
NCAA’s terms and conditions.
He said, “Whilst we are waiting on
Governor Amaechi for answers to some of the questions we posed, we have
meanwhile written an FOI letter to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority
requesting: (1) record of title to or any interest in the private jet
kept by the NCAA, pursuant to Section 7 (1) (a) of the Nigerian Civil
Aviation Authority (Establishment etc) Act, 2004 and (2) record of
registration and actual ownership of the private jet.”
The NCAA had on April 27, 2013, grounded
the private jet at the Akure airport on the grounds that the aircraft
lacked proper customs papers, as well as a manifest and flight plan.
The aircraft was also alleged to have an expired clearance certificate.
Amid the crisis, Amaechi on Monday,
vowed not to abandon his ambition to seek re-election as the Chairman of
the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
His leadership of the NGF is believed to
have been the cause of friction between himself and national leadership
of the PDP as well as President Goodluck Jonthan.
Amaechi, as a PDP member, was believed
not to have led the Forum in a manner beneficial to the party and
perhaps the 2015 ambition of Jonathan. To counter the NGF chairman’s
influence, the PDP floated its own governors’ forum presided over by
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio.
An aide to the President, Ahmed Gulak, recently accused the Rivers governor of runnig the NGF like a trade union.
Amaechi, through his information
commissioner, said, “The governor is neither dropping out of the race
nor drumming up support for governor Kwankwaso as being speculated.
“He is focused and as a true believer in
democracy and the rule of law, he is ready to cooperate and work with
any of his colleagues that emerges the winner of the contest.”
No date has yet been fixed for the NGF election.
source: punch
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